Found this shit about wood staining, some of which is applicable to inks too so i thought i'd share it.

Some facts about "so called" spirit stains

1. Some traders on Ebay, are selling so called spirit stains which are in fact oil based stains.
2. These stains are soluble in white spirit (which is where the confusion arises). White spirit is made by the petrochemical industry and thus is oil based.
3. Oil based stains only "take" on porous surfaces like bare wood; not on varnished, polished or wax surfaces.
4. Oil based stains have a drying time of 2-8 hours depending on conditions.
5. Additional coats of oil stain will NOT darken the wood further.
6. Oil based stains can be bought at any DIY store under the trade name of Rustins or Coloron
7. Naptha stains which are also oil based are only available from specialist polish suppliers
8. Oil stains are ideal when covering a large surface as the drying time is slow.
9. All stains can be intermixed providing they are made from the same base.

Some facts about genuine Spirit stains

1. Spirit stains, whether in powder or liquid form, are soluble in alcohol usually in the form of meths or cellulose thinners
2. Spirit stains will "take" on virtually any smooth surface including existing polishes and waxes as well as bare wood.
3. Spirit based stain dries in seconds on bare wood leaving a light powdery residue that needs to be wiped off.
4. Additional coats of spirit stain will darken the surface each time
5. Spirit stain is NOT sold in your average DIY store
6. Spirit powder stains can be mixed with french polish or cellulose to colour the polish.
7.Professional restorers use spirit, naptha and water based stains all the time.

Originally Posted by TAN_ONE

i like makeing markers for my ink out of everyday objects like yesterday i made a marker out of a pen

hah i just thought of something....you know those tablets you put in vinergar to make it colored for easter eggs?.....well you think thatd be any good for inks? sounds stupid but you could get some good colors out of it...